


LNK-061

by rhinkipoo



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Robot/Human Relationships, Touch-Starved, kind of, lonely rhett, robo-nurse, the hurt happened before this story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-14 12:39:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18052670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhinkipoo/pseuds/rhinkipoo
Summary: The robot turned on with a cheery little tune. For such a large piece of machinery, it was relatively quiet. Rhett was only a little impatient while it took its time to boot up. It looked brand new, andso life-like, dark hair with some silver streaks.Then it’s eyes opened, and Rhett just stared. He’d never seen an AI’s eyes before in person, only ever hearing about how intense they were. The pupils expanded and contrasted, eyes blinked, and a dull expression morphed into a pleasant smile. He looked around until his eyes landed on Rhett’s above him.





	LNK-061

**Author's Note:**

  * For [heatgeneratingtechniques](https://archiveofourown.org/users/heatgeneratingtechniques/gifts).



> This is fic is LONG OVERDUE, and I'm so sorry it took a few months to get out Sarah! Her prompt was Robo-Link.

It was no surprise when the hospital staff suggested he take home one of their new AI nurses. After all, he was all alone in the city. His family lived on the other side of the country.

It didn’t help that Rhett had downplayed his surgery, not wanting anyone to make a fuss over him. The fact is, however, he was on bed rest for two weeks. Doctor’s orders.

Somehow, he’d managed to get back to his home with minimal pain - all thanks to a very sensitive Uber driver.

“Uh, thanks man,” Rhett closed the door to the car. He turned around, and saw a figure standing by his front door. _Must be the nurse_.

He slowly waddled up to the robo-nurse, remembering the instructions he’d been given about activating it. _Him?_ After unlocking the door and pushing it open, Rhett grabbed the nurse’s left arm and flipped it over. He thumbed around the wrist until he felt a button under the skin, pressing it for five seconds.

The robot turned on with a cheery little tune. For such a large piece of machinery, it was relatively quiet. Rhett was only a little impatient while it took its time to turn on. It looked brand new, _and so life-like_ , dark hair with some silver streaks,

Then it’s eyes opened, and Rhett just stared. He’d never seen an AI’s eyes before in person, only ever hearing about how intense they were. The pupils expanded and contrasted, the eyes blinked, and a dull expression morphed into a pleasant smile. He looked around until his eyes landed on Rhett’s above him.

“Hello Rhett McLaughlin. I have been assigned to help you these next three weeks. My serial number is LNK-061, but you can give me a name by saying ‘LNK-061 Rename.’ Your prescription schedule and dietary restrictions have been downloaded. If there is anything else you need from me, please do not hesitate to tell me.”

Rhett moved to walk inside, but LNK-061 stopped him long enough to grab his overnight bag. At a snail’s pace, Rhett walked to his bedroom and then to the ensuite bathroom. After relieving himself, he found LNK-061 turning down his sheets and fluffing his pillows.

“Oh, thank you, but you don’t have to do that.” Rhett said as he climbed in.

“It is my pleasure, sir.”

Cringing at that title, Rhett made his first personalization of his robo-nurse.

“Please call me Rhett, and never sir.”

“Affirmative, Rhett.” He pulled the covers up, repositioning the pillows to give Rhett the most comfort for his back. “Can I get you anything?”

“Uhhh, a tea? With a little bit of honey? It should all be on the counter next to the stove.”

And with that, Rhett was alone again, if only for a minute or two. He planned on thanking LNK-061, but it felt weird not calling him a real human name.

“LNK. Ulnk, Ilnk, lnk. No, just sounds like I’m trying to swallow… Lonk, Lunk, Link. Yeah, Link.”

He played around on his phone, reconnecting his bluetooth, opting for a soothing playlist.

With a soft knock on the door, LNK-061 walked in, placing the mug of hot herbal tea on the side table.

“Thank you. LNK-061 rename.” The robot froze and spoke with little little inflection. “Please speak new name clearly.”

“Link.”

“Link. Is this correct?”

“Yes.”

Link unfroze, seemingly unphased by what just occurred. “I’m sorry, what did you say, Rhett?”

“Thank you, Link.”

 

* * *

 

Giving him a name definitely changed how Rhett interacted with him. Several times, he had to remind himself that Link wasn’t human, that he had no need to be embarrassed about anything. He was literally only there to help.

By the time Rhett decided he should go to sleep, he had some questions. Mainly, though:

“So, Link, uh, what are you gonna do while I’m sleeping?”

“I am programmed to go into my low power mode when my patient sleeps at night. I will wake up immediately if you call my name, so I can come to your aid. Where would you like me to go, Rhett?”

It was moments like these where Rhett was acutely aware of Link’s artificial intelligence. He felt a pang of loneliness in his chest, wishing his companion was more _real_.

“Is it okay if you stay in here? Y’know, just in case something happens.” He didn’t need to justify his reasoning, even if it was only half true.

He turned off his bedside table lamp, took a deep breath, and sighed through his exhale.

“Can I do anything more for you before changing into low power mode, Rhett?”

_Yes._ “No.”

“Thank you, Rhett. I will now power down with your permission.”

“Yup, yeah, yup. You have my permission.”

When the room fell silent, Rhett felt awkward. Thankfully, the move back to his house tired him out enough to fall asleep fairly quickly after turning on some white noise.

 

* * *

 

The next couple of days got easier, Rhett’s relationship with his robo-nurse became more natural. It had more to do with him getting used to having a roommate, if that’s what you’d call Link. What Rhett couldn’t figure out was if Link was being affectionate with certain actions. He knew that the AI technology was adaptive, and he’d heard stories about humans having relationships of all kinds with them. Like, they each develop their own personality over time. Did that mean they were capable of true friendship?

Of love?

Rhett was broken from this thoughts when Link came in with a bowl of hot water and a sponge. And something new: an apologetic expression.

“I know this is something you’re probably not looking forward to, but it’s time for a sponge bath. We should get started before the water turns cold.” Link stated matter-of-factly.

“Oh, gosh, okay.” Rhett shifted in his bed. “Uh, Link, do you think it would be okay if I took a bath instead? I’m pretty sure, with your help, I’ll be okay.” Link had an unreadable look on his face, so Rhett kept talking. “I’ve been able to use the bathroom with minimal pain. Plus, I think the hot water will help relieve some of the stiffness I’ve got from not moving very much after my surgery.”

Link picked up the supplies and left Rhett’s bedroom without any word. Worried he offended Link, Rhett moved to get up. He pushed his blankets back, slowly shifting his body around so he could easily put his feet on the ground. His upper body still on his bed, he flipped over onto his belly so he could stand up with more stability. Intent on walking to the kitchen, where he could hear Link dumping the water down the sink, Rhett took baby steps towards his door.

Not seconds later, Link filled out the door frame. “Rhett, let me help you.” He moved quickly to give Rhett some well needed physical support.

“Sorry you went through that trouble, only to ask you to change how I wanted to clean,” Rhett mumbled. _Do I need to apologize? Is that a thing you do with an AI?_

“Don’t be silly, I’m here for whatever you need. Never hesitate to tell me.” Link led Rhett into the bathroom. “But I appreciate it. Thank you, Rhett.”

Now, Rhett was even more confused. That was a very human response. A very forgiving one at that. He watched Link run his bath water while perched on the closed toilet, enjoying the steam that enveloped the small room. Link stretched over the tub, grabbing a bottle of body wash, shampoo, and conditioner, and placed them on the sink.

As Link knelt down to test the water with his fingertips, Rhett was entranced with how smooth his actions were. If he could suspend reality for a moment, he’d believe Link was not artificial but flesh and bone.

“I think the water is ready, Rhett. If you’d like, I can leave the room while you undress and step inside. However, I’d like to be here.” Rhett’s eyes snapped up to meet Link’s. “I don’t want you to slip while stepping into the bathtub or fall while trying to sit down.”

“Right, yeah, okay.” Rhett’s face turned bright red.

“I see you’re blushing. You don’t need to be embarrassed or nervous about anything, Rhett.” Link stood up and made direct eye contact. “I will never judge you.”

Sounding small even to his own ears, Rhett asked, “Would you at least turn around?” There was an added level of intimacy when you undressed in front of someone rather than just being naked. _Right?_

With a small smile, Link turned around. Rhett took off his shirt with some effort and grunting, thankful Link pushed to help him bathe. _How am I supposed to wash myself if lifting my arms is this difficult?_ In one quick sweep, he pushed his boxers down the the floor and stepped out of them.

Clasping his hands in front of his body, if only for modesty’s sake, Rhett coughed to get Link’s attention.

“All ready?”

Rhett nodded his head curtly.

Link held out his hand. Rhett was hesitant about grabbing it, but he did. More gently than he was expecting, Link helped him sit down in his bathtub. It was times like these he was happy that he indulged in some luxury items for bathing. Link used the sea sponge, dunking it in the water to soak, and brought it up to Rhett’s shoulder and squeezed the warm water out. He was almost methodical in rinsing, washing, and rinsing again. The awkwardness Rhett worried about was long forgotten, enjoying the light massage.

“Tilt your head back for me,” a soft command came, and Rhett willingly complied.

A little more hands on now, Link pulled his fingers through Rhett’s hair to make sure it was saturated with water. Link poured shampoo directly onto Rhett’s hair, lathering with all fingers, the pressure putting him into a state of hypnosis. A low groan escaped when he felt Link’s nails lightly scratch his scalp.

“Are you okay? Am I hurting you?” Link asked with concern, pulling back to read Rhett’s face.

“That actually felt really nice.” Rhett only wanted Link’s attention on his scalp again. Having that physical connection, artificial or not, made him realize how touch starved he was. “Please keep going.”

And Link did. He shampooed twice, as per the instructions on the back of the bottle, and conditioned Rhett’s hair.

“So, now, Rhett, I’m going to leave the room so you can wash your groin and upper legs. Call for me, and I’ll come back to wash your lower legs and feet. I really don’t want you to over do it. Nurse’s orders.”

“Thank you.” Link stood to leave. “Oh, um, could you pass the shower gel? It’s just out of my reach.”

“Oh! Silly me! Here ya go,” Link laughed and handed him the bottle. Rhett smiled up at him, really enjoying the grin that lit Link’s face up.

Rhett made quick work of cleaning his nether regions, afraid of what might happen if he lingered. He took a bit more care with his thighs and knees, and Rhett being Rhett, he pushed himself while trying to reach his shins.

“Shit!” He pushed himself too hard. “Link!”

He was already halfway through the door with a panicked look on his face. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just tried to wash past my knees.” Rhett took a deep breath as the pain subsided. “You should know that sometimes my pride bites me in the ass.”

“Rhett, you gotta let me do my job. Let me take care of you. Please.” There was something in Link’s voice that made Rhett’s stomach flip.

Link took over once again, cleaning the rest of Rhett’s body - his feet only tickling a little bit.

Once done, Rhett watched the water spiral down the drain as Link moved to gather a couple of towels. It was a bit of a logistic challenge, but they both managed to get Rhett standing outside of the tub and began drying down. A towel wrapped around his waist and another draped on his shoulders to assist in drying his hair, Rhett slowly made it back into his bed.

The whole ordeal really took it out of him, and his body was longing for a nap. But it was still touch starved. The way Link had touched his body not minutes ago really relaxed Rhett’s state of mind, so he either didn’t filter or care about what came out of his mouth.

“Stay with me?” Rhett begged, reaching out a hand to catch Link’s as he tucked him in.

“Of course. Do you want me to sit in the armchair?” Rhett shook his head. “Where would you like me to be?”

“Can you cuddle me? Play with my hair like you did in the bath?” Logically, Rhett knew that it was perfunctory what happened as Link washed his hair, but Rhett wanted what he wanted. However, he added on because he was a gentleman, “Only if you want to.”

Rhett only wanted the affection if Link wanted to give it.

His eyes closed as he slipped further under, accepting that Link probably left the room. _Probably for the bet-_ The bed shifted. Link climbed up, staying on top of the blankets. Rhett peeked through heavy eyelids to see Link shifting onto his side, and smiled with satisfaction as Link brought a hand up to Rhett’s head.

Link’s fingers threaded through Rhett’s hair, pulling gently, fingers lightly massaging his scalp. Inhibitions long gone at this point, Rhett openly moaned at the pleasure he was receiving. After a few minutes, Link began to stroke his neck, paying special attention to the soft skin below his hairline.

Mumbling, Rhett told Link he wished they could properly snuggle, where Rhett could reciprocate.

“Maybe next week when you’re feeling better.” Link scooted a little closer. “I think I’d like that.”

Rhett wasn’t awake for much longer, but he could have sworn he saw a look of adoration on Link’s face.

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on [tumblr](https://rhinkipoo.tumblr.com) and say hello!


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